Deserted Wife's Benefit

Introduction

Deserted Wife's Benefit and Deserted Wife’s Allowance are two
social welfare payments made to women who were deserted by their husbands. Both
of these payments were closed to new applications in January 1997, when the One-Parent Family
Payment was introduced. Some women have continued to get Deserted Wife’s
Benefit because they qualified for the payment before 2 January 1997 and have
continued to meet the qualifying criteria.

Rules

Deserted Wife's Benefit is a payment made to a woman
deserted by her husband. Entitlement to the payment is based on social
insurance contributions paid by the woman or her husband.

If you have transfered from Deserted Wife’s Benefit to One-Parent Family
Payment to be accepted as a participant on a Community Employment Scheme, you
can apply to have your entitlement to Deserted Wife's Benefit restored. The
maximum weekly rate of payment for Deserted Wife’s Benefit is higher than the
maximum weekly rate of One-Parent Family Payment. If you qualify to have your
entitlement to Deserted Wife’s Benefit restored you may also be due
arrears.

If you are currently getting a reduced rate of Deserted Wife's Benefit, but
have been working, then you may qualify for a higher rate of State
Pension (Contributory), based on your own PRSI contributions, when you
reach 66. However if you do not qualify for the State Pension (Contributory)
when you reach 66 you will automatically get a higher rate of Deserted Wife's
Benefit (see 'Rates' below).

Any new application for Deserted Wife’s Benefit received on or after 31
August 1992 is subject to an earnings limit as well as satisfying the PRSI
contribution condition. Since May 2007, you will get one of the rates of
Deserted Wife’s Benefit in the table above if your yearly income is less than
€20,000. You are not entitled to Deserted Wife’s Benefit if your earnings
are over €20,000.

It is important to note, a reduced rate of Deserted Wife's Benefit based on
earnings or insufficient PRSI contributions does not apply to claims made
before 31 August 1992.

How to apply

It is no longer possible to apply for Deserted Wife's Benefit or
Deserted Wife's Allowance - these payments have been closed to new
applicants since January 1997.

If you are getting Deserted Wife's Benefit, you may be entitled to extra
benefits from the Department of Social Protection including a Living Alone
Allowance and the Household Benefits Package when you turn 66.